What's in my kitchen, July 2014

In my kitchen is... 

Truffle infused olive oil. This was an absolute bargain buy from Aldi, at $3.99 for 200ml. I love truffles, I love olive oil, this was bound to be a hit!

Truffle oil yumminess

So far I have used it drizzled over a button and enoki mushroom risotto (Ellie and mummy approved indeed!), added to a homemade semi dried tomato and basil pizza and to jazz up some roasted pumpkin and potatoes. It has not failed me yet!

Mushroom risotto - made even better with truffle oil

In my kitchen is... 

Home grown lemons from my dad's tree (and maybe a sneaky passionfruit too!). This is half of what he gave me, and I have grand plans for this batch. I plan to make some preserved lemon, freeze some into lemon ice cubes and do some baking for Ellie. Is there anything else I should consider? Any favourite recipes?

Lemons on display in my favourite bowl

In my kitchen is... 

A tea maker from T2. I've been eyeing these devices off for awhile, and finally was convinced by their 18th birthday sale where everything was 18% off.

This nifty little device is perfect for my oversized cups and works well to brew up delicious beverages. I am still nauseous so have been experimenting with different tea combinations in case that helps. The winner at the moment is a combination of Turkish Apple together with a Lemongrass and Ginger blend. I make this one both hot and cold, and it seems to be helping out with Attila a little. Plus it keeps up my fluid intake. Apologies for the bad lighting in my night time photos.

In my kitchen is... 

Bowls of pear crumble, because well, crumble! Made for me by a friend to indulge my sweet tooth, it is delicious, and I've been stopping myself from eating huge portions of it and then trying to justify it saying the 'bump wants it'. That never ends well, so I've been restricting myself to dainty portions, best served with some raspberry coconut ice-cream.

In my kitchen is... 

A glass straw. In a further effort to increase my fluid intake during the colder weather, I've been carrying around a drink bottle all the time. The only issue was, it has a rather wide neck so I tended to tip it on myself often. No more with this straw! Instead of using a plastic one which doesn't break down easily I now have a lovely shiny glass one which I can just throw in the dishwasher when it gets a bit manky. I have to say, it also makes whatever I'm drinking feel just a bit posh... making me want to drink more so I can use the straw. Displayed here in a shot glass with a fabulous looking Donna Hay cake picture in the background (as an aside, photographing a glass straw is rather hard!). I bought this one online from Glass Dharma because they offered a bunch of different diameters and lengths which was helpful in making sure it would a) fit my bottle and b) suit the things I like to drink.

I haven't been eating much lately, nor have I been shopping so I feel like this is another lean IMK post... I have grand intentions to remedy this next month.

I am linking this post in with Fig Jam and Lime Cordial's monthly In My Kitchen event. Go have a peek through other kitchens around the globe!

What's in your kitchen this month?

Breastfeeding, what I've learnt so far

* Disclaimer this post is sponsored by Medela.

I've written before about my breastfeeding experience with Ellie.

I won't lie. The first time around we stopped breastfeeding way earlier than I wanted to. I wanted to be that mama who fed easily. I thought it was something that came naturally, that you just instinctively knew what to do. For me, that wasn't the case. We had a toe curling, painful and rocky start. There were latch issues and apparent supply issues. There was sore nipples and mastitis bouts. There was conflicting advice from midwives, lactation consultants and my GP. Lots of tears (both hers and mine). What with pumping, feeding, and a delicious recipe for vegan lactation cookies, we managed to keep at it for nine months, during which time I also returned to work and she also started day care.

Also, I won't sugar coat it. Some of my nicest early memories are of breastfeeding. Of gazing into her eyes, of smelling that sweet baby smell, of tiny hands patting me as she feeds. The utter contentment of those late nights when she and I seemed to be all alone in the world. I missed that when we stopped. So much more than I thought I would. There were more tears (from me this time). After I stopped feeding, I still had a decent supply of milk frozen that we'd finished off by the time she turned one. In spite of how she was fed, and the angst I gave to the whole process, Ellie has thrived. I'm grateful for all the help and (good) advice I received and I want to state that I support feeding your baby however works best for you.

My hand looks really old here

Having said that, I intend to give breastfeeding a red hot go with Attila. This time around, I'm better informed, more practiced and know where to go if I need help.

Recently, I attended a morning tea with Medela. I used their products the first time around with Ellie (hello, marvellous shields and swing breast pump!) and we've got a few bottles as well. This morning tea was fabulous. We talked about what is normal is breastfeeding. Please, if you take anything from this post know that there is no normal! There is no 'correct' set of rules and know that the breastfeeding relationship will change as your baby grows and has different nutritional needs. What works one week might need to be changed the next. Babies can have variable breastfeeding sessions, durations and speed as they grow.

The best advice I can give based on my experiences?

• Go in with a positive attitude. Your baby can sense if you are stressed and that will stress them too.
• Drink plenty of water. You aren't just hydrating you, you're using that water to make milk. Trust me, you will get very thirsty. Go with it. Also, eat. Even if you are too tired, eat.
• A support network makes all the difference. Someone to encourage you when it hurts, cheer you on when it works and help out with answers to your many questions. You might have multiple support people, and that will help immensely. Don't be afraid to ask questions and find your own cheer squad.

Medela provides real solutions for breastfeeding mothers to get over any hurdles in the early days and to support their long term breastfeeding goals. Through its extensive range of breast pump products and other breastfeeding products, Medela is committed to promoting the benefits of breast milk and encouraging long term breastfeeding. For more information visit: www.medela.com.au  or say hello on www.facebook.com/medela.au

 

Things not to say when someone tells you "I'm pregnant"

Today I bring you a quick little post. With the gradual release of news about Attila, I've had some absolute corkers from people in response to the announcement. I'm sure they mean it with the best of intentions, but really, there are some terrible cases of foot in mouth out there. I've surveyed some of my friends too, to hear some of the funny responses they've had to their announcement of "I'm pregnant":

1. I've had food babies bigger than that. How far along did you say you are?
2. What? Where is it?! I won't believe it until you show me proof. Do you have an ultrasound or something?
3. Conversely to #1, OMG, you're huge!
4. Wow, was it planned?
5. How on earth will you handle another one?
6. What terrible timing with the changes to maternity leave payments.
7. Again? Already?!
8. Yes, I thought your boobs were looking huge.
9. Oh really? When will you finish work?
    

So, for future reference, there is only really one correct response if someone tells you they're expecting:

Congratulations

 

 

Have you had any odd responses when you broke the news?

Pregnancy - the glitz, the glamour... and the reality

Those prenatal books always talk up the good parts of pregnancy. The glow you supposedly get. The way your hair is supposed to be thicker and lusher. The special attention you and your bump get. Ha! The reality is, none of that happens for me! Glow? More like bad skin for nine months straight, worsening after baby is born due to sleep deprivation. Thick, lush hair? Pffft. Try, lank and stringy, falling out and leaving weird bald patches post birth. Here are some other illusions I've recently had shattered:

• Currently I'm just about half way along with Attila. I'm bigger than usual which means that my balance is off but unfortunately, I'm not big enough to look obviously pregnant. Therefore, I do not get offered a seat on public transport and I feel weird asking for one.  I'm not too angry about it because I understand it's a fine line to draw when you're not sure if someone is really pregnant or just large. Here are some progress shots. Ignore the bathroom background please!

 

• I'm at that awkward clothing stage where nothing fits right. I'm not yet big enough for maternity clothes but regular clothes are starting to look a bit obscene. Draping scarves and longer tops are my friends. Also, anything with an elastic waist. If I could make track pants an accepted fashion statement and suitable for work wear, I'd be doing that too! Going out and formal events are just hard!

• The sheer discomfort of growing... assets. Not that Mr Fork is complaining, but, well, they are larger. And more painful. And maternity bras are just not flattering at all. Also, see my previous point about needing to dress the bump and assets.

• Constantly needing to wee. Yes, it happens. I don't mind so much during the day, but now that it's colder, I definitely mind leaving my snuggly warm bed in the middle of the night due to having a walnut sized bladder. 

• The total lack of energy. My first trimester nausea has (mostly) subsided but I'm still not at my regular levels of activity. On work days, I get home and all I want to do is shower off the day and sleep. Not really possible when I have a hungry toddler and husband who've waited patiently for me. Not to mention that there are Ellie cuddles to be had! Thank goodness for meal planning so I don't have to think too hard. And for takeaway pizza. Thank goodness for that too on the nights I'm too lazy for anything.

• Apparently, Attila is now the size of a sweet potato and I should be feeling movement. Which I totally am! Or it might be gas (yep, that happens too). But I'm pretty sure it's movement. 

• Heartburn. Oh the heartburn! It happens when I don't eat. When I do eat. If I don't eat enough, it feels like my stomach tries to eat itself. When I eat too much there is no room left inside for anything and I spend the next few hours metaphorically rolling around the floor (if I'm at home, sometimes I do roll around the floor and Ellie thinks it's a great game!).

• It's a glamourous business, growing a baby, don't let anyone tell you differently! Of course, the end result is absolutely worth it. Best reason for feeling rotten and going through all that indignity indeed!

Did pregnancy shatter any myths for you? Or have you ever looked forward to something only to find the reality less than the expectations?

What's in my kitchen, June 2014

In my kitchen is... 

Soup! I do love soup, and it's hearty and delicious and fairly quick. We've had pumpkin (from my homegrown kent) and red lentil lately. Both yummy!

In my kitchen is... 

Bacon flavoured bits! What can I say. They're an odd sort of thing to crave but they are vegan and they just go down so nicely... perfect for when I want something to crunch on or add a bit of salty flavour to salads or as a soup topping. They've been really hard to find lately, but I had a craving and was stoked to see them in my local IGA. I had to be restrained from buying in bulk.

In my kitchen is...

Joong. This bowl contains a small number of these delicious glutinous rice dumplings which my MIL made for me. Sometimes called the Asian tamale, in Cantonese we call them joong, but they are also known as zongzi. Traditionally made to celebrate the Dragon Boat festival on the fifth day of the fifth month in the lunar calendar, this batch was made especially vegan for me, and contains peanuts, mung beans and shiitake mushrooms instead of the usual assorted meats and pork. I have to share them with Ellie, but Mr Fork doesn't care for them at all which just means more for us! I'm torn between whether to devour them all or freeze some to savour later (they're quite labour intensive so I don't tend to make them myself). So yummy.

In my kitchen is...

A rogue baby sweet potato. I found this little guy when the hounds wouldn't stop barking. Investigation found them distressed near my sweet potato mound where I had previously planted slips from a potato which I'd failed to eat and had sprouted. The top of this little fellow was exposed and proved to be the 'intruder' they were perplexed about. I dug him out because he was a bit mauled, but I hope the rest of the batch underground get more growing time. Bread tie thingie there for scale.

In my kitchen is...

Capilano honey infused with ginger. I saw this while grocery shopping and thought, why not? Honey isn't something I generally use, but I do make Mr Fork some hot drinks with it in, and this saves me the effort of cutting up fresh ginger to make him honey ginger tea when he gets his bouts of man flu. By all reports, the flavour is fairly decent. They had some other infusions too, I think lemon was one of them.

This month is quite food intensive in my kitchen, and not many things. Although well into second trimester now, I find my energy levels very low, and am spending less time cooking than usual. I've been making things in large batches and either eating them for a few days straight (Ellie and Mr Fork are not fans of this) or freezing portions to bring out another time. When food cravings hit, I tend to want the same thing over and over but I'm conscious that it's the hormones talking and my family doesn't agree. I'm just so tired - Attila is taking up a lot of energy yet stubbornly not producing a bump I can show off properly yet! Hopefully I get my mojo back next month.

I am linking this post in with Fig Jam and Lime Cordial's monthly In My Kitchen event. Go have a peek through other kitchens around the globe!

What's in your kitchen this month?

Airing your dirty laundry

No, I'm not talking about the kind of Mount Foldmore that is threatening to overtake my spare room. What I'm talking about is the social media type of laundry, the posts that make me pause when I'm scrolling through my feed(s) and think "Really?!"

I'm sure we've all seen such posts, or know someone (who knows someone) who has posted something online that probably doesn't belong there.

Sure, it's easy to do these days with the prevalence of social media access on our phones, tablets and laptops. It's a simple thing to snap a picture and add a quirky caption, or in a cranky or inebriated state post a ranty status online. At what cost though?

Once something is online, it's online for good. You can't control it, or stop other people from sharing it. Even if your privacy settings are high, all it takes is one person in your network to forward that message out or to tag you in one of their own pictures for their network to see. It's done, it's out there and being cached and crawled and searched - getting it back is like trying to herd feral cats or protect your nice outfit from your children's sticky fingers.

When I'm reviewing people for hire, I usually do a quick Google search to see what turns up. In fact, I regularly Google myself too. Let's just say, there are some interesting results out there. I worry for the social media users of today, some of who think nothing of drunken selfies, of public berating and pointed rants, and the publishing of information that might not belong in the public domain. Truly, I love technology, but what I don't love is the way that some people forget that behind every post/image, there is a flesh and blood human who has feelings, a reputation and a life.

I know, some might say, but aren't you a mummy blogger? Don't you have Facebook and Instagram and post photos and stories about your life? And this is true, I do. But I'll be honest, I vet my stories. I only share what I'm comfortable putting my name to. Pictures of Ellie are watermarked, and the face of Mr Fork is never shown, at his request. I don't even use Ellie's full name. It's a fine and personal line to draw, but I try to step carefully through the landmines. I still allow unrestricted comments because I believe in free speech but I may change my mind one day.

I post with my name, both on my blog and when I comment on other's work. I only say what I'm personally happy to stand behind. I choose what I put online and what I keep private. I try to keep my dirty laundry where it belongs - in my laundry basket, within the walls of my own home. I shudder to think how I will teach Ellie to do the same with the mixed messages out there and the way that technology is already so ubiquitous in her life.

Given that this is Stay Safe Online Week, let's discuss. What are your thoughts?

Recipe: Tomato, red lentil and vegetable soup

Also less kindly known as the clear my fridge of vegetables soup!

I really felt like a nice hearty soup and this one fit the bill perfectly. It was filling, had protein and lots of hidden vegetables and as an added bonus, got rid of some vegetables that were slightly wilting in my fridge drawer.

It's very versatile, so substitutions and additions would still make a tasty end product.

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
200g sliced mushrooms
500g sweet potato, peeled and chopped
half a jar of pasta sauce (or substitute a tin of diced tomatoes)
4 cups water (if using the pasta sauce) or stock (I use Vegeta stock powder to make mine up)
1/2 cup red lentils
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar (optional, for added sweetness)

Method:

1. Start with a lug of olive oil in your pot. Add onion and garlic then stir until fragrant and softened. Add mushrooms and stir until the mushrooms are softened.
2. Add chopped sweet potato, red lentils and the pasta sauce/water/stock.
3. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender.
4. Blend until smooth, and return over low heat. Season with salt, pepper and the balsamic vinegar, then serve!

Serves 4, generously.

Tomato, lentil and vegetable soup

I served mine with some chilli dukkah on the top as I had an open packet and felt like a little bit of crunch. Some chopped fresh shallots would also be delicious. I also had a loaf of olive sourdough handy, which was perfect for soaking up the leftover bits of soup in the bowl (because I'm classy like that!).

Now that it's officially Winter, are you craving soup yet?